Chapter 90: Infighting
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How can there be a corpse…
That silver armor… looks like a Church Knight’s… the bottom half is hidden by weeds, lying motionless on the ground, and is that bl**d? Too high up to see clearly—could it be a trap to lure me down?
Where’s Cardinal Nero?
And those old men with the Holy Lance… Margaret and the Saintess Class… can’t find them. Where did they all go?
My suspicions heightened. I controlled the black flames to slightly increase my flying speed, circling above the valley at a height of over a hundred meters, occasionally making sharp turns or rolling over, timing it just right to suit my mood. I had to be careful to avoid anyone below ambushing me or setting unknown traps ahead of my flight path.
Meanwhile, my dark, lively eyes darted around, scanning the vast gorges and rocky formations, patrolling back and forth near the chasm and those tents. Soon, I spotted a few fallen Church Knights next to a tent.
One, two… five… there seem to be more on the other side…
I circled in the air again, squinting in the greenery of the valley below for a closer look. Gradually, I discovered more and more fallen Church Knights. Most of their bodies were hidden beneath dense vegetation or stuck among scraggly rocks, mainly located near the camp, leading outward from the valley—they fell where bloodstains were faintly visible.
Something’s gone wrong…
Realizing this, I slowly reduced speed, hovering mid-air. My nerves tightened as I scanned the surroundings, waiting in silence… Nothing happened.
The valley was eerily peaceful. Aside from the occasional chirping of birds, there was no other noise.
It really seems like everyone below is dead.
What is going on… Could something have attacked them while I was stuck in Abyss Mud…?
What could it be…
Could it be a new Abyss? Is it that little girl?
Has she come looking for me?!
The moment that thought popped into my head, I immediately shot it down.
No, impossible…
If they were attacked by the Abyss, how could there be so many corpses left behind? Once Dead Smoke is released, it would undoubtedly leave an indelible mark in the valley. I remember there were over two thousand Church Knights, plus the Cardinal and Margaret… with such a lineup, if a battle really occurred, it would be unimaginable; the Abyss would have gone all out, and the whole valley would surely have been left unrecognizable… but now it looks like this…
It couldn’t possibly be the Abyss.
But if it’s not the Abyss, then what else could it be… The knights’ corpses extend outward from the valley, suggesting the Church might have retreated. But against such a large force, even the Abyss would find it hard to win… What the heck happened… Could there be a dragon in this valley… What about Margaret?
Is she okay…
No way. I have to go down and check.
After making up my mind, I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and listened carefully, confirming after a moment that there weren’t any voices below. I spread my arms wide, controlling the black flames to shift my form. At the same time, I released Dead Smoke, letting it swirl around me, trailing thick black mist as I dove rapidly towards the camp like a meteor.
The few tents nestled among the foliage rapidly grew in my view… fifty meters, thirty meters… the landing spot is a small patch of grass between the tents… ten meters… now’s the time!
Slow down, flip, crouch, adjust my landing position—
Mighty man descending!
Boom—
The black flames erupted in my sight. Dead Smoke twisted into countless tiny black snakes, scattering like fireworks in all directions with the explosion, engulfing an area of about fifty meters around the landing site, transforming it into a pitch-black d*ath zone. The tents on either side were lifted by the force of the blast and instantly turned to ash in the black smoke. By the time I stood upright, the ground beneath me had already turned to scorched earth.
Hmph…
I refuse to believe there are any dirty tricks left to play in this situation.
In this fall, I hardly felt the impact. The exterior of my armor was harder than steel, yet the inner layer felt unbelievably soft, almost like it had a cushioning effect…
I couldn’t help but lower my head for a quick glance at my body.
Amidst the swirling black smoke, the armor encased in black flames covered my arms, chest, and all the way down to my abdomen, with only the shoulder and elbow joints exposed, still protected by a layer of spiked arc mail. It ensured both freedom of movement and minimal blind spots, even my head was covered, and I could feel the neck armor too, leaving only my face exposed.
The armor was pitch black, with plates tightly interlocked. Below my abdomen, black flames burned intensely, and the skirt made from the same black material flared out, resembling a fluffy medieval court dress, yet without needing any hoop skirt—the armor’s own hardness was sufficient for that. The black skirt extended all the way to below my calves.
With the wide battle skirt obscuring my view, I couldn’t see my legs or feet. But I felt a sense of comfort being wrapped in armor; below wasn’t a vacuum, but tightly covered in the same black armor, leaving me with no unnecessary worries.
Looks kinda cool…
Suddenly, I wanted to check myself out in the mirror.
But now’s not the time; never mind…
The black flames exploded away.
The black smoke twisted back into my body, surging out again. Dust-like ashes swirled around, and dozens of smoke snakes swirled around me, swirling swiftly a few meters out, like the most reliable defensive magic, alerting me to any movement.
But as the shock from the explosion faded into the distance, and the rising black ash fell, I sensed not a single disturbance around me.
Here…
Are there really no living beings left?
I took slow steps forward.
As I passed out of the area swept by Dead Smoke, the smoke snakes began to scour new territory, causing more plants to wither and d*e, turning to ash that carried away in the wind.
…Come back.
I lightly waved my hand, and the smoke snakes immediately changed direction, sinking back into my body, mingled with a few wispy white smoke puffs—probably small animals nearby that got gobbled up.
“Hmm…”
A bit comfortable.
But that pleasant feeling lasted less than three seconds before quickly dissipating.
Lifting my head, I saw two knight corpses lying on the rubble not far ahead. I hurried over to one of the bodies and squatted down. This one was face down, with a large bloodstain having long since dried, and the moss growing on the stone had been stained a deep brownish-black. The knight’s helmet lay off to the side, and the dirty, tangled hair seemed stuck to the rocky surface, with yellowish goo running in strands from the gaps in the armor.
“Ugh—” I couldn’t help but gag.
So foul…
The stench is overwhelming…
It felt like my eyes were going to water.
But this isn’t my first time smelling corpse rot, so I managed to stave off the nausea threatening to rise. Pinching my nose, I stood up, picked up a long stick from the side of the bushes, and poked at the knight’s side to roll him over, revealing his face…
“Ah!”
I stumbled back a couple of steps, frozen in place, unwilling to approach again.
His face was so swollen it was unrecognizable; the skin purplish-black, resembling a grotesque meat balloon. His eyeballs bulged, lips thick and distorted, tongue protruding, and bl**d-red foam oozed from his mouth and nose, a pungent stench assaulting my senses.
“Cough…”
I nearly choked and had to step back again.
How long has this knight been dead?
Let’s think… I once looked it up out of boredom online, how many days was it? Three days… no, this has to be at least seven days… Have I been stuck in the Abyss Mud for so long?!
I didn’t even feel it at all… Where’s the Cardinal? Where’s Margaret? Where are they…
I need to check other places…
I made a gesture of prayer to the knight’s corpse, then discarded the stick and turned to head quickly toward the area where the tents were most densely clustered.
The sky began to darken.
At the top of the gorge, behind the long mountains and clouds, the sun gradually sank, casting warm yellow light throughout the valley.
It also illuminated the rotten corpses I had found.
Those warriors who were once spirited and valiant had now turned into piles of stinking rotten flesh. Their bodies lay around the camp, leaning against tree trunks or buried under rubble and dirt, becoming nutrients for the earth.
Many corpses had become so disfigured that their wounds were unidentifiable, but some, like those with heads severed, limbs chopped off, or a blade sticking out of their chest, as well as others bound by strange plants—these deaths made it clear to me that this wasn’t the work of the Abyss or a dragon.
It was infighting within the Church.
The bodies with identifiable causes of d*ath were either slain by their companions’ blades or wiped out by divine miracles… On my way, I even passed a patch of flowers, and I immediately recognized it—this was where Margaret had done some fighting.
The scene near the flower patch was particularly horrific. In addition to countless unsightly Church Knight corpses, there lay an elderly man in robes, and three Saintess Class nuns, one of whom was almost in pieces; if it weren’t for her clothing, I wouldn’t recognize those chunks as either female or male.
I was terribly afraid I’d find Margaret among them, but luckily I didn’t.
She must have escaped.
It’s certain that after I fell into the Abyss Mud, conflicts erupted here… It might be because of me, or it might not be. But there’s a big chance the conflicting sides were Margaret and Cardinal Nero; otherwise, the Church Knights wouldn’t have turned on each other—they must have been confused about whose orders to follow.
There were no living souls left here.
The surviving individuals had fled in such a hurry that they didn’t even care for the Abyss Mud… I’m sure a lot of them got away. While many tents still had food, the line of stables by the Wisteria River was already empty. The piles of corpses nearby suggest someone was left behind to hold the line, attempting to delay the enemy, but they all died there.
As for the victorious side… it might be the Cardinal.
If Margaret had won, she definitely wouldn’t just walk away. Margaret would prioritize the Abyss issue; even if she knew the new Abyss had already left, even if I had actually died here, she would at least leave someone behind to guard the Abyss Mud, ensuring nothing unexpected would happen until it vanished. I’m sure of that.
But now no one remained here… that leaves only one possibility.
Margaret is being hunted. The Church Knights on her side are all dead, and she can’t afford to care for anyone else.
If that’s the case…
Margaret went all out to save me; I won’t forget that.
So I have to go save her.
And the Royal City…
So much time has passed… d*mn, how could I have slept for so long…
I have to hurry…
After leaving the tents, I flew back near the chasm, relying on my memory to reach the spot where I had been mortally wounded. I searched the area for a long time, finally finding Captain Gray among a few rocks between the scorched earth and greenery.
The box was shattered.
Fortunately, the scythe was intact… I took Captain Gray out, removed the leather straps from the box, and secured the now triple-bent black scythe onto my back, lifting my gaze toward the dusky red sky.
I hope it’s not too late…
In the next moment, my tiny body, engulfed in roaring black flames, shot up into the sky.
